Electric water heater



March 22, 1927.

1,621,800 A. MARTIN ELECTRIC WATER HEATER Filed Sept. 26, 1922 .2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

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f v w 22 19.27. 1 621 800 m? A. MARTIN I ELECTRIC WATER HEATER Filed Sept. 26, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVE-TOR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.)

nrnonsn MARTIN, or oennnsnunc;

4 ew HUNDREDTHS TO MAX. KATZMAN,

YORK, AS SIGNOR OF FIFTY-ONE ONIE-v 1' OF OGDENSBURGH, NEW YORK.

Application m September as, 1922, Serial No. 590,584.

This invention relates to an. electric water heater in which. the water to,be heated is allowed to flow int the lower end of 'an upright container where it is heated by direct contact with a plurality of pairsof electrodes supported in super osed relation by suitable conductors irom t e to of the container which has a suitable disc arge nozzle for the esca e-of the'heated water. I I T e main object is'to' electrically heata I .suit'ablebody of water in a container to a pro-determined degree of temperature and v to automatically maintain approximately that temperature for indefinite periods of time by the use of a relatively small amount within a predetermined Another object is to distribute the heating units in such manner as to render the waste or wear'of the'elec-' trodes of the several heaters-practically of electric current maximum amperage.

negligible I 4 I ther objects and uses relatlng to s ecific arts of the apparatus will be :brou'g t out in the following description.

In :the drawings:

Figs.- 1 and 2 are; respectively a top plan and aside {elevation of an electric water heater embodying thevarious features of my invention,-the controlling valve being. omitted'inFigl; .f I v Fig. 3 1s a'd'etail. sectional view of the thermostatic switch 'taken'online 3-3, Fig. 1.

Fi'gs. 4 and-5 are longitudinal vertical sec- 'tional yiews-taken, respectively on lines.

-5- having a valve inlet to the container and also serving to'con- 'trol the supplyofheated water-through Outlet.

- being additionally insulated from the bushright containeris provided to which is con-.

-'-6 adapted to be operated by hand for controlling .the'supply ofwater through the The upperendor enduhead -3- is pro 'vided wit an 0utletq 7 to which is con nected an external discharge nozzle -.-8-, the outlet and discharge nozzle being preferablylocated at one side of the axis of the container while the outer end of the discharge nozzle is deflected downwardly-at the outside of the container for convenience of delivery into an underlying receptacle.

7 eater. The upper end head 3-'-'. of the container .is provided with a central circular opening -'9 for receiving a bushing --l0- which is removably secured in place by screws 11- for receiving and supporting a pair of upright electric conductors 12- in parallel spaced relation centrally within the con- The conductors 12- preferably consist of round rods of copper or other suitable material havin their upper ends reduced in diameteran extending through and above the bushing. v10 to form terminals or binding posts.13 which are adapted to '75' be connected in an electric heating circuit fthrough the 'medium of iiexibles cables '-14.-- having; a terminal plu '15- for engagementin any ordinary 001' or wall socket of the'usual incandescent lighting circuit; 1

hese conductors -12- are insulated from the bushing --10-= by insulating sleeves 16 and are tightly clamped in place by nuts -'-17-, the terminals -13- ing -10- by an insulating cap -18' having apertures through which the terminals. extendifor engagement by a slip connection +19. The conductors -12- extend into the container approximately half the length thereof and their inner ends at one side are preferably recessed to form substantially 'flat faces- 20 and shoulderse-Qlfor receiving the adjacent ends of another air of vertical conductors -12 which orm exten I -sions of the conductors12- and have their upper ends secured to the conductors +12- by screws -22-- while their lower ends exi tend to points relatively near the lower end .1 heads 2 v v These conductors 12'--. are half-round in cross section and lelism with their flat faces at the same side for receiving and supporting a plurality of, in this instance, five spring clasps or loops 23 which are secured by spot-welding or otherwise secured to the fiat sidesof the extensions -12- with their open sides at the top for receiving and supporting a corresponding number of cylindrical electrodes -24 preferably of carbon.

Each conductor .12- is provided with the same number of spring clips -23-, those of each bar being arranged in space relation one above the other and directly opposite and in axial alignment with those of the other bar so that the electrodes or both bars will'be arranged in pairs while those of each pair will be arranged in slightly spaced relation endwise to form intervening gaps for producing electric heat for heating the water in the container.

The clips 23- are tensioned to friction ally hold the electrodes Q% of each pair in proper relative position for producing the desired arcs and may also be sprung open by hand to release the electrodes when desired to remove them or for readjustment,- the outer ends of the electrodes being preferably enlarged to prevent the adjacent ends from contacting with each other.

A spacing block 25 is secured to the lower ends of'the conductor rods -12 and 12'-- in spaced relation aided by the abutting of the upper ends of the lower rods 12- with the shoulders -2l. v

Thermostat control.

-In Figs. 3+5 is shown a thermostatic electric switch consisting of a thermostatic bar 26 carrying a contact member 27- which is normally in contact with a cooperative contact member 28 on the adjacent end of a resilient bar 29 when the temperature of the container produced 26 and 29 and their contact members 27 and 28 extend some distance below said block.

This insulating block -3l is secured to the outer side of the'cylindrical shell -1- by means of a screw 32 and together with the bars 26 and 29 and contact members 27 and 28- are'inclosed in a removable house or cover section -33 whngh is are arranged in paral:

regulated according to the perature may be varied at will by simply adjusting the contact members -27 and 29 relatively to each other.

Operation.

When the container 1 is once filled with water it will always remain filled by reason of the fact that the outlet is at the upper end while the inlet is at the lower end and when the thermo-electric switch is properly adjusted it will normally close the heating circuit through the several pairs of electrodes until the temperature of the water reaches a pre-determined degree of say 212 F., and at about this temperature the thermostatic switch will be automatically opened by imparting the heat of the water to the thermostatic bar, the ebullition taking place at the gaps between the adjacent ends of the electrodes of each pair. A

That is, the water'surrounding the electrodes causes a relatively thin film to pass between the electrodes and this thin film of water is quickly heated and rises to the surface and is continually replaced'by the cooler water until the whole body is heated to the desired temperature when the heating circuit is broken by the opening of the thermo-electric switch.

On theother hand if the temperature of the water is reduced below that degree, the thermostatic switch will automatically close the heating circuit to restore the temperature of the water so that the latter is always retained at the desired temperature ready for immediate use to an amount equal to the capacity of the container by simply opening the valve -6 which capacity is usually number of heating units employed. I

I claim:

1. In an electric water heater, a pair of upright conductors, each provided with a plurality of vertically spaced electrodes having their axes extending horizontally, the

electrodes of each conductor being arranged in axially opposed spaced relation to those of the ether conductor to form vertical watergaps between adjacent ends of opposed electrodes.

2; An electric water heater as in claim 1 in which the water-gaps between the hori zontally opposed electrodes are disposed in substantially the same Vertical plane be- .5 tween the conductors.

3. An electric water heater comprising an upright water container, upright electric conducting bars-supported from the top-of the container in parallel spaced relation, spring-olaspS mounted side by side upon the 10 bars in transverse alinement, and electrode members frictionally held by the clasps. j

In Witness whereoi I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of September 1922.

ALPHONSE'MARTIN. 

